Friday, October 12, 2012

This post is dedicated to Amanda Todd (b. Nov. 27th, 1996 - d. Oct. 10th, 2012), a brave, beautiful young woman who took her own life this week after being subjected to the most brutal bullying, harassment and victimization imaginable by other young people in our community. This involved both cyber-bullying and real world actions and assault.

“I think the video should be shared and used as an anti-bullying tool.
That is what my daughter would have wanted,” Carol Todd, Amanda’s
mother, told The Vancouver Sun in a message on Twitter.

I hope that young people, parents and others watch this to see what kind of an environment too many of our young people are living with every day. As adults, we must do more to stop this and to intervene earlier for the victims/survivors for this brutality. Bystanders must stop being silent and tell someone if you know of someone being bullied. Amanda Todd: My story: Struggling, bullying, suicide, self harm

On Sept. 7th, Amanda wrote:

I'm struggling to stay in this world, because everything just touches me
so deeply. I'm not doing this for attention. I'm doing this to be an
inspiration and to show that I can be strong. I did things to myself to
make pain go away, because I'd rather hurt myself then someone else.
Haters are haters but please don't hate, although im sure I'll get them.
I hope I can show you guys that everyone has a story, and everyones
future will be bright one day, you just gotta pull through. I'm still
here aren't I?

On Wednesday, October 10th, Amanda was found deceased at home in what appears to be suicide. Her struggle is over and her soul is now at peace. I send blessings and sympathies to her parents and family.

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As a psychiatric social worker, working with youth who are admitted to an acute psychiatric in-patient unit, I have found that almost every single one of my young clients has been subjected to intense, chronic and damaging bullying and harassment by peers in the real world and in cyberspace.

Many switch schools, or even leave school altogether. Families move to get them out the community where they remain targets. Young people have told me about the safety plans they have had to create to get back and forth from home to school to avoid those who lay in wait for them. From what my clients and parents tell me, schools do little, if anything, to assist them and they are left on their own to cope with the devastating impacts of bullying and harassment, which include escalating mental health symptoms (anxiety and depression), feeling worthless, rejected, hopeless and suicidal. They often cannot see a better future is ahead for them.

As adults, we simply cannot ask why bullying is so rampant with young people without holding the mirror up to ourselves. Bullying and harassment is an epidemic in many workplaces. It has become a structural mechanism to create control and domination in the workplace. This a much bigger topic to be tackled on another day.

In the immediate I want to provide some resources for young people, for parents and for others so people can access help.